Springtime of Youth
by Danko Kaji
Summary: Words rarely exchanged and touches subtly given is silent love cultivated in its truest form. .::SasuHina::. An assortment of drabbles.
1. Humiliation

**A Little Dose of SasuHina Love - No. 1: Humiliation**

The ointment she applied stung. It stung like hell.

He twitched, signature scowl visible on his scary, mean face. A dark cloud hung over his head. Humiliation. Utter humiliation.

Somewhere in the background, Naruto laughed his ass off like there was no tomorrow. "Take it like a man, teme!"

He wanted to kill someone. _Anyone_. Preferably Naruto. Or Neji. Or both. It would make him feel better. _Much _better.

"Just a little while longer," she reassured quietly. Shy, delicate, and compassionate. Like an angel.

He loved her. Believe it or not, her loved her to death. But not even love could stop the pain from flooding in. The _excruciating, agonizing_ pain.

Hinata massaged the open, infected cut on his arm with rubbing alcohol. It didn't sting. No, it _burned_.

It burned with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns. Like his love for this cute-but-not-cool girl, and his hatred for all sweet things and fangirls.

He flinched, and grunted, and swore. She restrained from covering her young ears. "Bear with me, Sasuke," she cajoled, "Please?"

"Will you hurry it up," he spat slowly through gritted teeth, jaw tense.

Her lower lip shook, hurt by his steely words. "S-sorry..." Hinata hung her head in shame. Dejection weighed her heart.

Sasuke felt like crap. Like he had just raped his mom.

Silence. Awkward, heavy silence.

Naruto died. He had died in his own laughter. No wonder it was so quiet.

Hinata finished wrapping the cut with bandages, and lowered her fidgety hands. Nervousness stifled her voice, and replaced it with her infamous timidity. How annoying.

He had to do something to cheer her up, or else face her cousin's wrath. A nightmare he didn't want to face. Yet.

So, Sasuke cheered her up in the only way he knew how.

"...thank you," he grumbled, self-conscious. _Why me?_

Hinata's frown turned upside down. "You... y-you're welcome." He got shot by a cupid's arrow. For the 435th time this week.

_Because I am a bastard in love. How humiliating._

* * *

**(A/N): **First dabble of this story! Wohoo! Always wanted to write one, but nothing came to mind. Until tonight, that is. I have more floating around in my head, but I am open to ideas and requests.

My favorite three lines:

1) _Sasuke felt like crap. Like he had just raped his mom. _

2) _Naruto died. He had died in his own laughter. No wonder it was so quiet. _

3) _It burned with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns. Like his love for this cute-but-not-cool girl, and his hatred for all sweet things and fangirls._

Share me your favs. X3


	2. Marriage Proposal

**A Little Dose of SasuHina Love - No. 2: Marriage Proposal**

It was the moment of truth. It was the perfect chance, to propose to the love of his life.

Eye contact. Failure.

Steady, calm voice. Failure.

Act cool, composed, and confident. Epic failure.

All three traits he had threatened not to abandon him, but they flew off to vacation at the Bahamas anyway. Having the time of their lives, without their dastardly master.

That meant he had to do this on his own. Very difficult, but not impossible.

Ask for her hand in marriage.

...

... ...

...wait for it...

...result still pending.

_Why is this so God. Damn. Difficult?!_

The brooding, dark haired man faced his lover. The four words, 'Will you marry me'; the extent of his love for her... It wouldn't come out. She said his name sweetly, oblivious to his internal struggle, curious to his prolonged pause.

The words burst forth from his mouth suddenly. All at once. A jumbled mess of nerves. Of scattered wits. Of inward chaotic emotions.

He began to sweat bullets. He began to nibble his bottom lip nervously. An annoying, endearing trait he picked up from his beloved girlfriend. It wouldn't be surprising if Sasuke began to pant like a fish out of water. A pitiful, dying fish in the middle of a desert.

Hinata blinked. She blinked for the first time since fifteen seconds ago. And she breathed like she had never once drawn breath before. Like Jesus Christ had finally come back to Earth. Yeah, it was that unbelievable.

She gasped. She smiled. She blushed. She wept for joy. Her tears would be the end of him. Seriously.

If she said no, Sasuke would be forced to go find his brother. And strangle him for letting him believe that marriage was the only way you could get into a girl's pants. Itachi was such a prude.

Well, whaddaya know? She said yes.

Let's back track to childhood.

He won the girl's heart? During grade school? While the dobe was still alive? What a miracle.

Him? Sasuke? Building a big, happy family with her? His willingly wedded wife? Good luck with that. Or break a leg.

Soon afterwards, Sakura gave him advice on love, which (for the life of him) he totally needed. And wondered, _what does she know about love? _She still couldn't tell the difference between lettuce and cabbages, one of them being Kiba's favorite vegetable. Only to find out he was actually a carnivore.

Kakashi cornered him with a one-on-one talk; a surprisingly serious discussion about the responsibilities of family. For _two and a half _long, dull, freakin' hours. Of course, gave him the Make-Out Paradise novels for guidance when he was done.

And Naruto? He demanded to be Godfather of his best friend's future children. And offered to teach them the way of life, as per the ninja way. In a world where ninjas no longer existed. In which Sasuke unequivocally denied all the blonde's outrageously stupid requests.

Sasuke wondered why he hadn't killed those three idiots sooner.

* * *

**(A/N): **Mwahaha! Dabble No. 2!! A little more wordy than the first one, but it was fun. I always have fun when torturing my characters. Especially Sasuke, cuz he deserves it. XDD

It didn't take me long with this one either. Although, I stayed up to watch 'A Walk To Remember', which totally brought me to tears. Three times. My favorite romance movie of all time. And THAT'S saying something. Lol

My top favorite three lines:

1) _He won the girl's heart? During grade school? While the dobe was still alive? What a miracle._

2) _And she breathed like she had never once drawn breath before. Like Jesus Christ had finally come back to Earth. Yeah, it was that unbelievable._

3) _If she said no, Sasuke would be forced to go find his brother. And strangle him for letting him believe that marriage was the only way you could get into a girl's pants. Itachi was such a prude._

Leave a review please. I'd like that. :)


	3. Proximity

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 3: Proximity**

Physical intimacy was something both thought to be uncomfortable, foreign, and downright unnecessary (in public).

Only time proved otherwise.

Hinata could not bother herself to wonder, _how did it come to this?_

The black-haired Uchiha boy, whom many females coveted since the day he was born, was seriously invading her personal space. Uncalled for, yes, but not unpleasant.

What spurred Sasuke to gaze into her unique pearl-tinted eyes was pure, unadulterated intrigue. No other girl he had ever met looked at him with those eyes before; mainly because this shy Hyuuga girl never spared him a glance. Quite simply, she did not like him.

She _still_ did not like him, reason being he was not Naruto. However, Hinata could not deny she liked body heat, she liked warmth, and she liked how pretty he appeared up close. Sasuke was easy on the eyes. And so was she, in his opinion.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea; to train together only because there was no one else around to be their sparring partner. Both appreciated the mutual silence, the humane acceptance which came with it.

Maybe it wasn't so surprising; to witness this anomaly of a prodigal ninja trip over his own two feet, because the grass was wet and slippery from the morning rain. Everyone makes mistakes. Even a twelve-year-old, emotionally scarred, cold-hearted genius can make mistakes. Hinata could not fault him in that.

Luckily for Sasuke, the impact was broken by the muddy dirt, squishy grass, and (most importantly) her soft body. Hinata squeaked, her laughter muffled by his glare beholding murderous intent. Good thing he had her pinned down. _She won't get away with mocking me_.

Pity. It wasn't Hinata's fault that Sasuke misunderstood the meaning behind of her mirth.

Maybe it wasn't so far-fetched; to consider each other's potential relationship in the not-so-distant future. Reality struck them in moments, self-consciously aware of the proximity they shared.

They shared the same breath, the same body heat, the same magnitude of a blush, the same curiosity reflected in the harsh contrast of color in each other's eyes.

The two were locked in place, unwilling to show polite decency in order to bask in the intimacy awhile longer. His long bangs tickled her face. Her skin tingled at the brush contact of his nose nestled against hers. The soft, deep intensity of their interlocked gazes caused their hearts to glow.

The barrier of unfamiliarity broke apart like an unfinished, neglected jigsaw puzzle. And the two began to pick the pieces up, one by one, patiently forming a new picture together.

* * *

**(A/N): **What inspired me to write this one was a magnificent fanart picture of SasukexHinata. The one where it only showed their faces, Pre-Timeskip I believe, surrounded by the visual fragnance of flowers and their proximity was beyond definition. X3 This one took less than an hour? I don't know, I lost track because I was so focused in finishing it.

My top two favorite lines:

1) _The barrier of unfamiliarity broke apart like an unfinished, neglected jigsaw puzzle. And the two began to pick the pieces up, one by one, patiently forming a new picture together. _

2) _They shared the same breath, the same body heat, the same magnitude of a blush, the same curiosity reflected in the harsh contrast of color in each other's eyes._

Tip for fellow writers: My favorite technique to use is Parallel Writing. Example: Fav. Line #2. You should try it, instead of coming up with choppy, fragmented sentences. Review, please. :)


	4. Stargazing

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 4: Star-gazing**

The stars began to flicker out one by one, meaning dawn was soon to arrive.

Two friends, one boy and one girl, laid side by side on the dewy grass together, their gazes focused on the navy blue sky. Countless twinkling flames sprinkled the Heavens above.

The raven-haired boy remained wide awake, though his world-weary eyes protested. He could trace the secrets of the universe by reading the signs of the stars, he could hear the music of the wind by imagining the dance of the trees, and he could smell the perfume of the flowers by welcoming the prime time of the summer season; because _she _was the one who opened his mind to the world.

The constellations of the stars spelled his destiny in bold, fiery linear pictures; the elements of Mother Nature cultivated life within this earth with kind, hard-working fingers, the timeline of their shared childhoods would eventually wane into adulthood, but Sasuke did not give a care.

The dark-haired female beside him was all he cared about. Hinata had blissfully fallen asleep after hours and hours of bonding with her best friend in the silence - outside her house in the backyard, without her family knowing. But Sasuke did not mind. Her presence was enough to touch his heart, her company a bonus, her trust and friendship truly a gift.

Maybe God had given this emotionally scarred preteen a second chance.

* * *

**(A/N): **Too sleepy to comment much. Except, I am particularly fond of star-gazing. I find myself appreciating nature by myself when life gets a bit too much for me to handle. This one-shot was born through my wistful thoughts.

My favorite line is actually the entire third paragragh. Share me your thoughts. :)


	5. Tomato Soup

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 5: Tomato Soup**

Rich tomato sauce, cream milk, sprinkled salt, crushed black peppers, & sweet savory spices…

"Well?" His arms slithered around her waist, holding her to him in case she failed to keep her balance. Left out-of-breath and dazed from the kiss, Hinata's eyes fluttered shut and she leaned onto him, nuzzling her face to the crook of his neck contently.

"Delicious…" she sighed, blushing happily.

"Hn. I know." Despite the arrogant tone in his deep voice, a glow of pride warmed his heart, evident by his smirking face. "You want some?" He felt her nod. Grudgingly, Sasuke released her before approaching the stove, scooping a generous amount of tomato soup into a glass bowl.

After he added shredded parmesan cheese on top, Sasuke handed her the bowl and they both sat down together at the dining table, his portion already half eaten. He greedily resumed eating. For Sasuke, this was his third helpings.

A sudden, soft feel of fingers brushing his bangs back brought his immediate attention away from his meal; greeted by the pleasant sight of his lover's fond smile. Speechlessly, Sasuke touched her hand and clutched it, entwining their fingers, their eyes locked in each other's loving gazes.

Sasuke's cooking efforts were much rewarded.

* * *

**(A/N): **Thank you, klb101, for the kind review. I dedicate this one-shot to you. :)

My favorite line is the first one. For obvious reasons! XD My dad can make the meanest tomato soup. Yum~ :p


	6. Fed Up

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 6: Fed Up**

"Oh, hi... Hinata," Sasuke grimaced, rubbing his swollen cheek to soothe the pain. Damn, Sakura could really _punch_. Who knew she'd be so touchy about her flat chest?

"H-here's my written portion..." Demurely, his science lab partner held out the page of notes and he grumpily took it.

"I'll take a look at it when I get home." Not to insult the girl, but he really wasn't in the mood to look over her work. Besides, Hinata was dependable enough to carry out her part of the project. She's surprisingly level-headed and polite for her age. Most girls, like his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend (Sasuke snorted), were usually concerned about popularity, boys, the everyday gossip, boys, their looks... did he forget to mention boys?

"Um... Sasuke?" Hinata's light voice snapped him out of his mental grumbling. He blinked rapidly, mentally disoriented from the stress of his life, focusing his eyes on Hinata as if he was seeing her for the first time. Now _that's_ something he never noticed before...

"Since when did you start growing out your hair?"

"Oh? Uh, after 8th grade..." Bashfully, she lowered her face and let her long tendrils of dark hair shadow her cheeks. The shade was a notch lighter than his own black hair. Instinctively, Sasuke raised a hand to touch a strand, soft like silk. If anything, natural beauty attracted him.

"You look..." Reluctantly, Hinata raised her pearl eyes to stare at him, curious to his pause. "Nice." Complimenting a woman wasn't one of Sasuke's well-known talents. However, the price of dating the strawberry blonde chick was constant flattery and sweet, petty words.

Next, Hinata blushed prettily, flattered of the simple compliment. "T-thank you..." Truthfully, Sasuke was surprised she didn't want him to elaborate. Compared to Sakura, Hinata's easy to please. Now the petite raven-haired girl straightened herself, brushing her hair out of her glowing face, smiling faintly. "How is Sakura? Is she doing well?"

"She's high maintenance. I swear, it's like she never heard of anger management." Hinata frowned in dismay. Sasuke couldn't tell if it was out of pity or genuine sympathy.

"Are you two fighting?"

"...You could say that."

"D-did she... slap you?"

"Who else would?" Sakura was the only one with the guts to hit him, even if the reason happened to be insignificant. Too bad Sasuke found it unattractive.

"It must've hurt..." she remarked quietly, cautious not to appear too nosy. For God knows Uchihas are the last people you ever want to tick off.

"Obviously," he quipped sarcastically. Out of concern, Hinata slowly reached out a hand to his face, only pausing to gauge his reaction. When all he did was watch her, waiting to see what she would do, Hinata took it as silent permission to touch his swollen cheek. He flinched despite the gentleness she used, his skin tingling from the contact.

"Do y-you want to see a nurse for that?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke remarked tersely, roughly pulling her hand off his face. Her kindness burned his heart, and it wasn't unpleasant. Sakura made him feel guilty, and he hated it. "It's none of your concern."

"S-sorry..." The girl withdrew her hand to her chest, massaging the hand she used to touch his cheek shamefully. With a polite, dejected 'goodbye,' Hinata scurried off to eat lunch with her friends. Left to himself again, Sasuke welcomed the lonely solitude with gratitude and sighed.

_I should really consider dating girls other than Sakura. It is bad for my mental health._

* * *

**(A/N):** Yeah, the title speaks for itself. XP I'm seriously getting tired of SasuSaku's blasphemous existence.

Paragraghs No. 6, 15, and 17 are my favorite parts of the dabble - besides the last line, lol. Share me your favorites. :)


	7. Morning

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 7: Morning**

The Uchiha compounds used to be cold, dead, and silent. Misery used to haunt these empty premises, the loneliness burdening his heart, the solitude eerie--

However, a new, unfamiliar sound filtered into the balmy air. Wavering, but clear and lyrical. The emotions solemn, peaceful, and content.

An indigo-haired girl snoozed on the veranda, her vulnerable form sprawled out under the cool shade - a faint smile evident on her youthful face.

The dark-haired male, a young and proud surviving member of the Uchiha clan, glanced at his companion every now and then, expertly thrumming his fingers rhythmically across the holes of the flute.

Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's beloved (deceased) mother, loved to play this musical instrument - and graciously taught a six-year-old Sasuke how to play. Though he only learned the basics before Mikoto and the rest of the clan was murdered, Sasuke spent many hours discovering new tunes and more interesting sounds throughout the span of his lonely childhood.

It was his secret - one of the few things which kept the resentful avenger sane. But, he had been caught. After training, in the brink of dawn when he thought he was alone.

The shy kunoichi, Hinata Hyuuga, politely didn't interrupt his flute playing. Sasuke didn't bother to stop playing and snap at her to leave even after she reluctantly decided to sit down beside him.

She listened.

And he didn't speak.

Eventually, as the days wore on, did they realize the harmony of their companionship.

Even though he was an avenger, did not mean he had no time for love. It wasn't planned, either. It just happened, naturally - their coincidental meetings, their idle chitter chatter of each other's life and family and future aspirations, their mutual agreement to date, etc.

Sasuke preferred to see her most in his compounds, where it was only the two of them. Observing the way Hinata maneuvered in his house - sometimes cooking meals for the two to eat together, taking it upon herself to clean the house, and frequently stopping by out of her free time - it melted his frozen heart, letting it mature along with time for him to think of the future - _their future_ - beyond revenge. After all, Sasuke did swear to rebuild the clan... and he couldn't do it by himself. Dare he say Hinata was a decent candidate.

Out of his peripheral vision, he watched Hinata stir in her sleep, slowly fluttering her eyes open and raising a hand to block out the blaze of the summer sun. She sat up drowsily and produced a fond smile when spotting him. Sasuke did not stop playing, not even when she had shifted closer to curl her arms around his torso. Resting her head snuggly on the back of his shoulder, she could feel the strong, thrumming heartbeats against her cheeks.

Hinata didn't care what people have said about Sasuke Uchiha. All she cared about was how tangible his heart seemed to be, how unbelievably possible it was for him to express love even when he rarely liked to show it.

* * *

**(A/N): **The musical composition in the anime titled _Morning_ inspired me to write this. The rough draft was actually written a year ago, but I didn't know what to do with it at the time. Now I'm glad I put it to good use.

My two favorite lines:

1) _All she cared about was how tangible his heart seemed to be, how unbelievably possible it was for him to express love even when he rarely liked to show it._

2) _Even though he was an avenger, did not mean he had no time for love._

Here's a fun rule. For each 50 reviews I get, I'll reward the 50th reviewer a one-shot of their choosing. Anonymous are no exception. The plot, the amount of characters involved, the mood and theme - you orchestrate it. ;) And I'll gladly post it in my account with your name marked on it.


	8. Catatonic Behavior

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 8: Catatonic Behavior**

_I am slowly losing the will to live…_

It wasn't his fault. Sasuke soon became unresponsive to the scarce amount of joy and the bottomless amount of pain thrown his way. (it's not my fault, it's not-)

Really, not even his friends and family could rouse any sort of hostile reaction from him. (it's pointless) Not a smile, nor a laugh, a smirk, or a tear (a wasted effort…).

It's almost as if nothing in this world interested him anymore. (I just… don't care…) It's like nothing motivated him to strive and work for something good in life.

Food now tasted bland to his taste buds because of repetition, no matter the flavor. (who cares if I starve?) It became a necessity, rather than an enjoyment. Games have always been ridiculous to him; he never tried to play. (I'm not a child- a stupid _stupid_ child-) School no longer mattered to him. (why force me?) How could he learn the curriculum when he didn't want the knowledge? (I don't want _anything_) Sleep was the only thing he looked forward to nowadays, (sleep is relief) for sleep is death's cousin. (death is freedom)

Life. Reality. Pain. Annoying people. (it all bores me) Depression. Boredom. A nonexistent happiness.

Staring outside the window, focusing at nothing (something that does not exist), the grey atmosphere of depression which painted the world - now possessed a colorful dot. The teenager gave a slight start when he saw a young woman turn the corner, treading the rain-soaked streets to reach his house with her favorite violet umbrella in hand.

It's Ms. Hyuuga (a resilient petunia bred by love and hope and compassion) his psychologist.

She (once again, and will always) stopped by to check up on him, ever since he no longer gave the effort to meet her at her office. To solve such an immature act of denial (I don't need help, I don't need to be fixed, I'm not broken), Hinata decided to visit him daily, even during her free hours when it wouldn't go on her paycheck.

She cared, unlike so many others. She listened, unlike those blabbering idiots. She forced fed him, when he refused to eat on his own. (she has the courage to push me, not spoil me) She re-introduced to him everything he rejected, everything he believed he didn't want, or didn't miss.

Opening the door to be greeted by her signature polite, benign smile, he gruffly welcomed her inside.

…_and she reminds me why I haven't given up, yet._

* * *

**(A/N): **Got to go to bed now, before I get in trouble. Can't say much, see you. Please leave a review. I'll have the ninth one up soon.


	9. Dance To The Music Of Life

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 9: Dance To The Music Of Life**

They stood side by side with her hand clasped in his; her looking at him apprehensively and him giving her an unpracticed smile of encouragement. Reluctantly, she let him lead; Sasuke guiding her step by step. Though Hinata experienced a brief moment of cold feet, trust thawed them out with kinesthetic relief.

Left foot, then right, their arms swinging back and forth, their hips following the tempo of the modern rock rhythm. Hinata twirled fluidly under his arm, her hair flying in her face, her heart pumping with sheer excitement. Smiles were exchanged once their eyes met.

The young man took a step closer, laying a polite hand on her mid-back; she placing her right hand on his left forearm. The fingers of their conjoined hands tightly intertwined. They moved to and fro with tremendous vigor, their bodies wrapped in a half-embrace, their hips rocking energetically to the rapid beat, their feet caught in a swift grace of complex dance steps; a dance strongly reminiscent of the rumba.

Merry laughter bubbled in her throat, a passionate surge of emotion exhilarating Hinata to twirl agilely away from Sasuke, suddenly halting when their arms could stretch no more; their interlocked hands her lifeline. Next, he pulled her to spin back into his awaiting arms, her back hitting his chest, his hands slipping to rest on her stomach, their hips sensuously swaying in sync to the steady beat.

Her arms rose to encircle his neck, her coy smile pleasing his eyes. His arms tightened to bring her closer, their faces a hairsbreadth apart. Their heartbeats pounding wildly like the brisk beating of the drums; their breaths becoming shallower by the second.

"Tired?" she gasped out, amused.

He shook his head, smirking. "No."

Hinata giggled, the flirtatious sound tickling his ears. "Keep up if you can."

They got lost in the night of music and passion, in a world of hope and turmoil. Dreams have to end sooner or later. Reality has to be accepted sometime. Because the heart cannot keep room for both forever.

* * *

**(A/N): **This was originally supposed to be a BaralaixYuna one-shot (Final Fantasy X-2, my second absolute favorite pairing of this lifetime XP), but decided to convert it to SasuHina instead. I wanted to attach it somehow to a multi-chap story, but didn't know how. It sorta felt more like a one chapter thing to me. And _why _Hinata was nervous to dance when it's something she excels at (in the manga, at least), I'll leave it up to your interpretation. ;p

Anyway. The dabble as a whole is my favorite. :)


	10. Stardust

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 10: Stardust**

The horizon was shrouded in twilit layers of dusty grey, dim orange, pastel green, and pale blue. The throngs of people were gathered around in anticipation of the fireworks.

The minutes slowly ticked by, much to the impatience of the crowd until finally the evening turned dark, and the magic began.

The fireworks exploded one by one in bursts of shiny colors, like a waterfall of golden sparkles. It scattered in all directions, alighting the midnight sky, as if seeking their place among the stars. Other fireworks produced shapes of shocking pink hearts and colorful flowers - violet-emerald petunias, and orange-bronze sunflowers.

Children held tightly onto their parents' hands, mouths hanging wide open in absolute awe, enamored of the fiery, booming brilliance. The elderly, having lived long and seen many years of the world pass by, cherished this transient performance - even though they've witnessed the phenomenon several times before. The teenagers, wishing to grow up or yearning to stay young; the adults, proud of what they have made for themselves or loathing what they have become - it was all forgotten. Even the couples, the lucky ones out there in love with their significant other, leaning into each other's embrace and craning their necks to watch the lovely view together; what else could be a more romantic night?

And that one little girl, who abhorred the loud noise and got lost in the marina full of strangers because she wanted to chase after some random person's dog, wailed and wailed and wailed.

"Where is mommy and daddy? Where are they? What if they can't find me? I want my mommy and daddy!" But her cries and sobs went unheard over the head-ache inducing spectacle. _'I'm all alone...'_ That terrified her more than anything.

"What's wrong with you?" a high-pitched voice asked. The girl lifted her tear-stained face, rubbing at her watery eyes, unable to see who had spoken to her because it was too dark. It sounded like someone around the same age as her. "Your mommy and daddy not around?" When Hinata could not answer in-between her hiccups, her words spilling out in a jumble of incoherent sounds, the boy huffed in exasperation. Next, he snatched her hand and roughly pulled her onto her feet, shoving passed the crowd with the blubbering girl in tow. "Fine. I'll go find your mommy and daddy. But you better promise not to be such a cry-baby."

Sasuke hated seeing girls cry, and he'd do anything to make them stop, even if it meant being nice.

* * *

**(A/N): **This was my take on the Fourth of July fireworks. It was the coolest thing ever, and it was worth the hour wait. :p I don't know about you, but I'm infatuated with the kiddie Sasu and Hina.

My favorite lines:

1) The entire third paragragh

2) _Sasuke hated seeing girls cry, and he'd do anything to make them stop, even if it meant being nice._

Share me your favs. :3


	11. The Unlucky One

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 11: The Unlucky One**

He looked up with a tear-stained face and I could do nothing, but watch as he beat his fists brutally against anything within reach; breaking lamps and throwing chairs and tearing clothes, the soreness throbbing in his hands. The pain made him hysterical. His sobs thundered the walls that seemed to shrink around him, until they crumbled from the miserable echoes of his cries and he believed he was finally free.

But it was a vain delusion.

Upon his body slamming into something solid, his fingers desperately clawed into the wall where it painted bloody scratch marks, yearning for a heavenly reprieve. The boy could no longer see what was in front of him through the liquid shroud of tears and torn sense of reality.

I wanted to reach out to him, to stop this ghastly, heartrending scene from persisting, but my transparent hand passed straight through the obstacle of flesh. How could I forget I no longer exist? How could I forget I am already dead?

And this boy, stricken with agonizing grief, had just lost his best friend. Me.

* * *

**(A/N): **This is dedicated to you, july_winter! :) Although you've said I didn't need to, I chose to write an angsty piece anyway. This was something I actually wrote in Summer school, which I'm glad I still kept a copy.

My favorite line is: _How could I forget I no longer exist? How could I forget I am already dead?_

Share me your favs. :3


	12. Apology Accepted

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 12: Apology Accepted**

The pound of his fist striking against something solid echoed like thunder. Hinata shrunk back, frightened, heart hammering violently like a little bird desperately trying to outfly the volatile storm. "When your parents called me to say you've gone missing, do you have any idea how much I worried?" His voice cracked like lightning, concern and relief softening its hostility.

"I said I'm sorry…" A non-stop flood of tears streamed down her face. Lifting a shaky hand to wipe them off, her efforts pitifully in vain, Hinata whispered hoarsely, "H-how many times d-do you want me to say it?"

"Just…" he sighed, exasperated, twinges of guilt prickling his conscience, "Just stop crying. Please." His plea sounded deceptively demanding, and Hinata knew better than to disobey his words, especially since Sasuke was in the right.

"Sorry…"

"You should be."

With an audible huff, Sasuke threw himself down on the couch, stiffly avoiding eye contact. The quiet girl remained standing, clenching her limp arm nervously while chewing her bottom lip. Sasuke knew he overreacted horribly, and self-consciously was aware of the need to apologize. However, he didn't know what to say, how to begin and where to apologize.

"Hinata."

The girl started at the stern, quiet call of her name, gazing at Sasuke who awkwardly picked at some invisible lint on his shirt. After some tense, prolonged moments of silence, Sasuke finally resigned himself to his fate and beckoned her to come over. She reluctantly did so. Sliding into his awaiting arms, Hinata snuggled in-between his legs and sighed contently when a hand drifted to stroke one of her long bangs. This tender motion told her everything she needed to know.

Sasuke urged her to lift her head, so she could look into his solemn eyes. He didn't speak, but Hinata knew Sasuke hadn't meant to upset her like that. Heck, _she_ hadn't meant to upset him like that.

"…you're sorry, too?" she supplied. He nodded mutely.

Sasuke believed that he deserved more than a little kiss on the cheek for the hell he put himself through just to apologize.

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**(A/N): **This drabble is dedicated to Guavary'DarkLavender. :) Thanks for being my 50th review, dude.

Favorite lines:

1) Pretty much the ending, rofl.

2) _After some tense, prolonged moments of silence, Sasuke finally resigned himself to his fate and beckoned her to come over._


	13. Death Is Not A Game

**A Little Dose Of SasuHina Love - No. 13: Death Is Not A Game**

Dismembered limbs and mutilated bodies are scattered all over the premises of the Hyuuga mansion. The perpatrator, a sociopathic killer. One who hits too close to home for the crime investigator.

Connect the pieces, and create a picture - or listen close enough, and maybe, just maybe, if you can imagine it, the dead will talk.

The eyes are stark white and dotted in blood, the rolling dice of the game. The skin is as pale as a paper sheet, and no words are printed to give any clues.

Knelt down on the ground, the detective decides to stand with head bent down in shame, the cap tilted to shadow his solemn eyes - the act of backing out.

_Why does it have to be my eldest son, who trifles with human lives and leaves them for dead? What is he thinking? What is he playing at?_

And then, the detective shuffles out of the crime scene, shoulders slumped in defeat, lamenting his loss of the first round.

The detective's younger son tends to the only survivor of the Hyuuga family, wrapping a blanket over her trembling shoulders, leaving briefly only to return with a cup of hot tea. The girl slowly and shakily accepts the ceramic cup, lifting it to her mouth, the liquid traveling down her throat, the taste bypassing her tastebuds.

She had seen the horror, reality personifying her nightmare. A man she has never met before infiltrated her house, claiming to be an officer searching for a criminal suspected to be roaming the rich neighborhood, only for it to come true in the lying bastard.

Hinata had witnessed them fall one by one... and there was nothing she could do to help them, having been frozen in fear and terrible shock. If she hadn't called the police in the midst of the bloody chaos, she would've been like the rest of them, another corpse decorating the Victorian-styled mansion. The young, traumatized woman is eternally glad she has never laid eyes upon the killer, because he would've haunted her with his face alone for the rest of her life.

The young police officer folds his arms stiffly behind his back, eyeing the girl with sympathetic coal eyes, the embers of hatred toward his brother sizzling in his black gaze.

Sasuke promises to catch the killer (and most likely shoot him dead at first sight), and woefully waits for her to recollect the pieces to her broken heart. To think, he's not the only one who has suffered in the hands of Uchiha Itachi.

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**(A/N):** I've been watching too much CSI and NCIS, lol, though CSI: Las Vegas is my favorite one. Grissom kicks ass! So does Nick, that guy is cool. XD I hate Sarah, though.

Thanks for the reviews, guys! :) I'm gonna be starting school soon, and I'll be suspended in writing during the weekdays. So, I'm trying to write as much as I can before summer vacation is over.

Favorite lines:

1) _Connect the pieces, and create a picture - or listen close enough, and maybe, just maybe, if you can imagine it, the dead will talk._

2) _The eyes are stark white and dotted in blood, the rolling dice of the game._

Share me your favs. :)


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